SEVILLA TO AMBUSH FREE-FALLING FOXES
From champs to chumps, Leicester’s woeful season could continue in Champs League
SEVILLA recorded their best first half to a season in La Liga and now they have the chance to go further in the Champions League than ever before.
Jorge Sampaoli’s side face Leicester in a last 16 first leg tie at the Sanchez Pizjuan tonight and confidence is high. There was cautious optimism in Seville when they were drawn with free-falling Leicester and that has only increased since Claudio Ranieri’s team were knocked out of the FA Cup by third-tier side Millwall at the weekend.
Sevilla beat Eibar on Saturday to stay just three points behind league leaders Real Madrid, albeit having played two more games.
“It’s a very big game in the history of the club,” Sampaoli said of the clash with the English champions.
Previous coach Unai Emery guided Sevilla to three straight Europa League trophies but a last-eight berth in the Champions League is a different landmark.
“Over the last few years the club has grown a lot,” said Spain winger Vitolo, one of the key performers this season.
“Ten years ago we were not even in Europe but the success of the last few years has helped the club internally.”
Despite that stability, Sevilla are still seen as a selling club. Last year they lost coach Emery to PSG and top scorer Kevin Gameiro to Atletico Madrid.
Vitolo will be a target for clubs at the end of the season but he believes the cogs in the Sevilla machine will keep turning whatever happens.
“Other clubs, when they sell, the performance drops but at Sevilla it has always gone well for them.
“They have signed new players who are practically unknown and don’t cost much and then get the best out of them.”
The club has also become famous for relaunching careers.
Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has been a major success story since arriving on loan.
“Good footballers who, for whatever reason, haven’t been at their best come here and this club knows how to get the best out of them,” Vitolo added.
“It happened with Ever Banega, with Steven N’Zonzi.
“I don’t know what it is about Sevilla but the club gives them a lot of affection, they feel important, they feel appreciated, and the talent they have is there.”
Coach Sampaoli has done so well he has been linked in the media with the Barcelona position if Luis Enrique leaves at the end of the campaign.
His style is viewed as different to his predecessor.
“Unai wanted his team to attack but he was very concerned with the tactical system and with ensuring that the team didn’t concede many goals,” Vitolo said.
“With Sampaoli, it’s totally different.
“He wants his team to dominate every game, whoever it is against. What he wants is to score a lot of goals and make the fans enjoy it.”
That attacking style of play has some Sevilla fans concerned that it will suit their English opponents.
For all of Leicester’s problems, they may be happy to pick off their opponents on the break, just as they did so often in the Premier League last term.
They currently sit one point above the drop zone in the English top flight.